


I stay awake and watch you breathe

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Inspired by Fanart, Literal Sleeping Together, Marichat, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22933402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: Late night or early morning, revelations choose different times but always strike when you least expect it
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 35
Kudos: 325





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [australet789](https://archiveofourown.org/users/australet789/gifts).



> Inspiration is an interesting thing. Sometimes it comes in words or random scenes, sometimes the story just starts flowing. The latter are the kinds of stories that demand to be written. So when this happened, I couldn't resist it. Thank you for your amazing art that always warms my Marichat heart! I know that this is only an interpretation, out of hundreds of possibilities. This is how I felt it and it's probably far from the original idea, but I hope you like it anyway!
> 
> (Title from Tess – The Second You Sleep)

Chat’d gone out like a light. Well, this was the reason she had asked him to stay after all, he’d looked too tired. But still, it was amazing how mere minutes after his head hit the pillow, his breathing had already evened out and he was completely out of it. 

Marinette, for her part, had barely settled. She never found it easy to fall asleep and while on the one hand having him there made her feel calm and safe, on the other, it sparked too many conflicting feelings in her to let her rest. She was worried about him, this much was true. He’d looked too tired and still so reluctant to go home, he’d leapt at the chance to stay with her once she’d offered it. She didn’t mind that he trusted her, but she couldn’t help wondering why he preferred spending so much time with her and spending the night there to being home, with his family. She’d asked before if they weren’t worried about him, when he was out late at night. She went out too, but it was timed to make sure her parents wouldn’t come looking for her. He didn’t seem to worry about this, which was strange and sad.

What could make him willingly choose to spend the night in another house, another bed and not least transformed for the whole night? She propped her head on her arm, which was resting on his chest, and looked at him. He couldn’t be comfortable, trapped in his transformation as he was. And she couldn’t help feeling sorry about Plagg too. But mainly, she wondered how Chat could look so at ease in that leather suit. She knew there was no way around that, for now, but she still felt bad about it. Although, now that she’d thought about it she couldn’t stop imagining him in more casual clothes and oh God…    
As a rule, she didn’t allow herself to think about his civilian identity. It was for her own sanity and for her to avoid being tempted too much. Because it was easier to keep her heart protected if she let herself think of him as her partner and friend but just Chat, no one else. But now, in the dark and quiet night, with him so close to her, she couldn’t avoid it. She flushed, because she realised she was in her bed with a guy and how this fact hadn’t registered until now, was a mystery to her. But most specifically, he was not just Chat, he was a normal guy behind that mask, without those cat ears, without that awfully convenient belt-tail and this silly bell. She was about to think without that suit too and then her mind blanked or she forced it to. She tried not to jump back so as not to jostle him and wake him up, but holly… she hadn’t just mentally undressed him, had she? This was a disaster.

She gave herself a minute to calm down, doing her best not to think of  _ that _ , it hadn’t been her intention at all, she’d only tried to imagine him in normal clothes, right? Right! And then, her hand was moving on its own, reaching out and lightly tracing the mask around his closed eyes. He looked so impossibly peaceful, so normal. Her fingers brushed a lock of hair on their way and faltered. She carefully caught the strands of gold, amazed by how soft it felt to the touch. Suddenly, she felt an almost irresistible urge to bury her fingers in his hair, to feel more of it. It was unbelievably tempting. So she sought something else to focus on to distract herself but it proved to be a very bad idea.

Because her eyes landed on his lips and she grew warm all over again. No, she shouldn't be doing this, she told herself. She’d been doing so well (although this was debatable since she’d allowed this to happen), she couldn’t let herself think such things now. Why was it so hard to keep such thoughts at bay now, when he was asleep? Was it because he couldn’t annoy her with a silly joke? Or say something to distract her? Or was it simply because she wanted to think them but suppressed them really effectively most of the time?

Did she want to imagine the guy behind the mask? Yes, she did. Did that make it harder to pretend she didn’t feel anything out of order for him? Oh yes! Did she want to kiss him? The thought startled her but was it any wonder? She’d been trying very hard not to do it, but her eyes still kept tracing his lips and imagining (she shouldn’t let herself think “remembering”, because this was another can of worms she wasn’t ready to open) what they would feel like to the touch. Her fingers were moving on their own accord again. One of them tracing his bottom lip. She felt a need so strong, she almost gasped. This was wrong, she chanted in her head. Trying to convince herself. And then he shifted, huffing in his sleep, and his warm breath caressed her fingers and she felt dizzy.

She forced herself to turn her head the other way, to stop looking at him before she did something really stupid. And she did look away, but it took her another minute to finally pull her hand away too. It didn’t help much, since she’d practically memorised the outline of his lips and she could still feel their texture on the tip of her finger and… She sighed. She’d messed up, big time. There was no going back anymore. 

And yet, somehow, in the middle of her internal conflict, with her feelings laid bare before her in an undeniable way, she still managed to fall asleep. Not even trying to convince herself she wasn’t enjoying his warmth and the steady heartbeat in her ear and how his arm tightened around her in his sleep. There was no point in that.

***

When Adrien woke up early the next morning, it took him a minute to realise where he was. The way the soft morning light filtered into the room was wrong, not what he was used to. And the ceiling was just too close. And the bed was too small. And there was someone there with him too! 

Calm down, he told his heart, but it was already beating too fast. And he was afraid Marinette could hear it. Because it was Marinette, snuggling into him, with her head on his chest. And sleeping peacefully. And impossibly close.

He took a deep breath. It was ok. This was fine. No need to freak out. They’d just slept together. And were still very close and she was so soft and warm and… He tried very, very hard not to let his mind wander. To the way she’d casually wound her leg around his, most probably in her sleep. Or the way she was hugging him. Or how adorable she looked while sleeping. 

Just then she mumbled something in her sleep, something that sounded suspiciously like “kitty.” But before he could melt, she shifted her leg slightly and he had to bite back a gasp. This had been too close for comfort. This suit was uncomfortable as it was, well after spending a whole night in it anyway, to add something else into the mix. Not that being comfortable would be his biggest problem, since he was in bed with Marinette and he didn’t want her waking up to find him like  _ that _ , thinking he was some kind of a perv!

But she wasn’t exactly making things easier. Looking so... kissable. He tried to stifle that thought, that impulse, because it wasn’t helping matters in the least! He dragged his gaze away from her, opting instead to focus on the orange light coming through her skylight. The sun was rising already. He’d need to go soon, but he didn’t want to, not yet. Although it was clear by now that this would be the right thing to do. 

He instead wondered how he’d ended up there. Not in that particular situation. He remembered feeling very tired the previous evening, but having too much fun and not wanting to leave. And then he started stumbling around and while he’d tried to laugh it off, Marinette had gotten concerned. Sweet, caring Marinette. She’d offered her bed for him without a second’s hesitation. This was why the last thing she deserved was to have him there with her, thinking very, very indecent things. 

Which was what he was wondering. How had he ended up thinking this? Feeling so confused and overwhelmed by something he hadn’t expected at all. He loved Marinette, there was no doubt about it. She was the closest person to him, apart from his lady. And she was so amazing and so kind and funny. And he loved spending time with her. But he’d never expected he’d feel something stir as he thought about her or looked at her. (His mind was not helping, finding  double entendres at the most inappropriate of times!) What they had was unique and wonderful and he didn’t want to jeopardise it by thinking or feeling something out of line. 

He wanted to be able to play with the ribbons in her hair, just the way his hand was doing now because it obviously had a mind of its own, and just smile fondly at her. Not to get distracted by the silky smoothness of her hair and feel the need to have those gloves out of the way so he could actually feel it. And then trace a lock of hair where it had fallen on her cheek and just be able to brush it off. Not to want for his hand to linger there, to caress her pale cheek. Or to take in her slightly parted lips and want to taste them. Not that, especially not that. 

But it was already too late. Once he’d thought that, there was no going back. He could no longer pretend he didn’t want this. That he cherished only her friendship and admired her for the wonderful person she was. This was still true, but there was so much more there too. It had happened without him realising it. He hadn’t thought it weird that they’d grown so close, he’d taken it in his stride. And he’d ended up falling harder than he could imagine possible. For an early morning, with her lying unsuspecting in his arms, to reveal to him how he really felt for her. 

All this didn’t make leaving her easier. He wanted to stay and talk to her. Face this complicated situation head on, with her. Because doing it on his own would be even harder to do. It would make his heart ache anew. 

But she was sleeping so soundly. And while he had no way of knowing that, he suspected she hadn’t fallen asleep immediately like him. He wondered for a second what she’d been thinking, lying there, listening to him breathe. But it was too much to hope that she’d had a similar revelation to his. He wasn’t that lucky. 

So he slowly extricated himself from her, somehow managing not to wake her up in the process. And prepared to leave. After a slight hesitation, he turned back to her and leaned in, placing a light kiss on her forehead. He’d thank her properly some other time. Hopefully soon, he thought and his heart fluttered. 

He couldn’t wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (For everyone wondering why I almost always use the T rating even when there is nothing to warrant it, it's just how I feel. And also because stories often get out of hand and things like THIS happen and I'm more than glad that the rating is there. This was not intentional! i wanted a soft and warm story and ended up with this... (longing is the word I'm looking for, but also improper thoughts? yeah, sounds about right. And not at all familiar, right?)
> 
> Of course everyone should see the wonderful art that inspired this story! Seriously, don't forget to check it out!  
> https://twitter.com/Rchavakiah8/status/1232966113581043712


	2. It feels like living in a dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you realise how you feel about someone, it's not that hard to admit it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I couldn't help myself and wrote the reveal to follow! You're really surprised, right? Because this is totally the first time I can't resist making things easier for them. Yeah, enough with the sarcasm. I really wanted to write this, because it was a good opportunity to explore. I hope you like how it turned out!

Marinette was barely paying attention to what was happening around her. She was lost in her own thoughts, reliving everything she’d felt the night before, everything she’d realised. What she felt was a strange mix of confusion, elation and hope. But she hoped her absent-mindedness wouldn’t be noticed. Of course this wasn’t the case.

“Marinette, what’s up with you today?” Alya asked before their last class for the day. 

“What do you mean?” She tried to pretend everything was fine, but still said it halfheartedly.

“Something is bothering you, I can see it. And it must be quite a big something since you haven’t noticed at all the way Adrien’s been watching you all day.”

This was enough to jolt her completely out of her thoughts. Her eyes instinctively sought him and her heart stopped when she met his gaze. He reacted instantly, turning around, realising he’d been caught. But she still managed to catch the bright blush covering his cheeks. Huh. What was all this about? 

“Do you see what I mean? He hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all day! But while this is surprising, what shocked me was your lack of reaction. Normally, you’re the one who doesn’t miss a move he makes. And now… it’s like you’re not here. So, do you have anything you want to tell me?” 

“I…” Marinette started, having no idea what to say, but thankfully she was saved by their teacher walking in. So she just mumbled, “I have a lot on my mind, nothing major.” And hoped to avoid further interrogation.

But the fact remained that her bubble had burst. She had no idea how she’d managed to forget about Adrien at all, to the point of not paying any attention to him all day. This was unbelievable. Guilt flooded her mind. She didn’t owe him anything, he didn’t even know about her feelings, and yet she felt disloyal to him in a way. Had always felt in the past whenever she allowed herself to notice Chat, even for a minute. And now it was so much more than that.

As she got home, managing to rush there the moment their classes were over and missing being questioned further by Alya, she felt even more confused. 

She knew how she felt about Adrien, how she’d felt for so long. But she was questioning it for the first time. Because this new feeling, what she’d realised the night before, lying in Chat’s arms, wouldn’t go away either. She needed to see him again, to talk to him, tell him how she felt. 

She also couldn’t imagine seeing him as Ladybug and pretending that everything was normal. She couldn’t do it. She had no idea how she’d managed to act normal around him before. She’d had a hiccup or two, but she’d always managed to keep her professionalism first. She couldn’t imagine doing this now. She’d have a hard time keeping her hands off of him, let alone trying to act all cool and unperturbed. 

All this meant that she’d have to tell him the truth, one way or another. She didn’t dare tell even Tikki, because she was afraid she may talk her out of it. She knew it was dangerous, but she had to do it, for her own sanity. 

But while she was busy trying to think how exactly to do this, she heard a familiar sound. She almost tripped in her rush to go out on her balcony. The moment she opened her skylight and saw him there, the wave of emotions washing over her almost dragged her down. At the way he smiled at her, her legs turned to jelly, making it very hard for her to go out and join him. But she somehow managed to do it.

She stopped a few steps away from him, her heart beating wildly. 

“I came to thank you for last night. I couldn’t earlier because I had to get home,” he said, sounding unexpectedly timid. 

She was instantly back in her bed as she woke up in the morning. He was gone, the bed beside her long cold. At first she’d been convinced that she’d dreamt it all, it seemed so surreal. But she knew it had been real. So she’d settled with just missing him terribly. It was irrational, because she knew he couldn’t have stayed. But she still felt sad that he wasn't there with her.

With everything she was feeling, the way he was looking at her now made it almost impossible to think straight. She wanted just to jump into his arms and cry her heart out.

“I missed you,” she heard herself say. It was surprising how easily it had come out of her mouth. She felt her cheeks warm up. She’d wanted to tell him, but she had no way of knowing how he’d react. So she waited with bated breath.

“Marinette,” he whispered and in the next instant, he was right in front of her. His hands cupped her face and he looked into her eyes as if he wanted to drown in them. She shivered all over. “Do you have any idea how good it felt to wake up next to you and how hard it was to leave you?”

The softly spoken words barely registered in her mind. She felt weak with need. She was sure that if he didn’t kiss her right there and then she’d die. All this, being so impulsive and overwhelmed by her feelings, was not like her. At least, not like how she was with him usually. But she welcomed it. Especially since she saw the same need mirrored in his eyes too. 

They moved together, their lips meeting halfway. It was the best feeling in the world, the ache in her being soothed instantly. It was so much better than anything she’d imagined (or could remember.) When they pulled back a little later, she felt light-headed. Her arms wound around his neck as she fought to stay upright. His own arms wrapped around her, keeping her close. He touched his forehead to hers, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I wanted to do this this morning,” he whispered after a minute. “So much.”

She smiled weakly, her heart feeling like it was about to burst.

“I wanted to do it last night, while I watched you sleep,” she answered, the truth and only the truth. 

She felt elated. She couldn’t believe they felt the same way! And it had been so easy to admit it. But then she realised this was only the beginning. She still had a very important thing to say. She saw her own determination mirrored in his eyes and they spoke together.

“I have to tell you something.”

He looked taken aback, probably wondering what was the important thing she needed to tell him. But he still said, “You go first,” because this was so him. 

She took a deep breath and called upon all her courage. 

“I’m sorry,” was what she said first and she saw this confused him. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realise how I feel about you. I guess I was afraid and stubborn and… confused. Because there was this other guy and I couldn’t like both of you at the same time, I was certain. But still, this is no excuse. Because I hurt you, turning you down for him. Again and again. And I’m sorry. So sorry. I wish I could take it all back, make myself see the truth earlier. But I also hope it’s not too late now.”

She finished and tried to catch her breath. She was trembling all over. She’d done it. There was no going back.

He still looked confused, trying to make sense of what she’d said. Then she saw it dawn on him. Saw him connect the dots. The other guy, the rejection, the way she apologised. 

“M’lady,” he breathed. She could only nod. And then he was kissing her again, his lips capturing hers in a short but heated kiss. 

“I can’t believe I’m so lucky,” he said after that. And then she saw the determination in his eyes and knew. Even before he said, “Claws in,” and the flash of green blinded her. Only for her to find none other than Adrien holding her when she blinked it away. He was looking at her, nervousness creeping into his eyes.

And then she laughed, startling him.

“This is why you were looking at me like that today!” She said. “I was too distracted myself, thinking about.. ha, you, to notice. But Alya did.”

He smiled tentatively.

“You know he’s hopeless at hiding his feelings. It’s a wonder he lasted this long,” she heard a familiar voice and then Plagg appeared between them. “Hi, Marinette.”

“Plagg,” she smiled at him. And then she remembered. “I’m sorry about last night. I felt bad about you being trapped like that.” 

“Ha, I guess I have to be thankful at least one of you did. This one here didn’t bother apologising. Not even for the fact that I had to endure the hormonal mess that is his mind,” he said before flying away, probably to find Tikki.

Marinette stood with her mouth open, staring at Adrien. Who had gone impossibly red. 

“Oh my God, Marinette, I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t do anything. It was a fleeting thought or two.. That I couldn’t control. Nothing more, I swear” He said, clearly mortified. 

She could feel her own blush back in full force, but she still tried to reassure him.

“Hey, it’s ok. I trust you. I wouldn’t have let you spend the night with me if I didn’t." This was true. "This wasn’t very nice of Plagg,” she added. 

“I guess I deserved it, since I really didn’t remember to apologise for keeping him in the ring all night. But I was too distracted,” he finished sheepishly. 

“I get it, it’s ok. For what it’s worth, I had a hard time keeping my mind from wandering last night too,” she admitted. “I think we didn’t take this into consideration when we decided you should stay. I didn’t expect it, for sure. I was still convinced I was in love with.. you,” she finished lamely. “I mean, not knowing it was you. Oh dear, this is complicated.”

“You mean…?” he asked incredulously. 

“Yes. It was you all along, Adrien,” she said finally. “Which means I fell for you twice,” she added, smiling.

“Me too,” he smiled back. “I couldn’t believe I’d been so blind. This was why I couldn’t take my eyes off of you today. I couldn’t believe you’ve been there all along and it took me so long to really notice you. And to think I was worried about telling Ladybug,” he chuckled. “I felt kind of disloyal to her, thinking about you like that. But I couldn’t resist coming here too.”

“I know the feeling. I’m glad you came, though,” she said. 

“Imagine the trouble we saved ourselves by being honest. We could have agonised over our split loyalty for quite some time otherwise,” he said, clearly thinking out loud. “It’s a good thing I couldn’t imagine waiting to tell you the truth.”

“All hesitation flew out the window the moment I saw you,” she said honestly, her fingers toying with his hair. Because she was finally allowed to do it. And it was the best feeling in the world. He was probably thinking the same thing.

“I want to wake up next to you again,” he said, voice low and husky. Her heart skipped a beat. 

“I want that too,” she said before kissing him again. Because she could. And intended to do it as much as possible. “This time we don’t even have to worry about Plagg,” she added after that. They both blushed at that, because this brought along a whole new set of worries. It wouldn’t be the same, sleeping together, knowing what they knew now and not having to hold back. But they'd deal with that, somehow.


End file.
